List of characters in The Root of Evil
The following is a comprehensive list of characters appearing in Flaming Gnome Studios' 2014 silent epic The Root of Evil. '' Some character backgrounds feature information not included in the theatrical releases of ''The Elixir of Doom ''and ''The Root of Evil. ''As these backstories are drawn almost exclusively from early screenplay drafts of ''The Root of Evil, ''they are considered canon. ''(Page under construction) '' ICOSA and affiliates Official and de facto members of ICOSA ("eye-KO-suh"), the '''I'nternational Co'unter '''S'muggling 'A'gency. '''Viktor Boroshlav A weary veteran of ICOSA. Much of his early career was spent pursuing Jean Montresor, Europe's then-reigning crime lord. After years of raids on black market warehouses gradually wore down Montresor's resources, Boroshlav was able to dismantle the enterprise and incarcerate its leader in The Elixir of Doom. He was pulled back into the chase some years later'' following the emergence of Alfred Kensington and his Ginseng Plot. Boroshlav was eventually able to turn Kensington's own ginseng suppliers against him, foiling the scheme and defeating its leader. '''Emmanuelle Chanson' Boroshlav's longtime fellow agent and love interest. Unbeknownst to her partner, Chanson was secretly ordered by ICOSA to infiltrate Jean Montresor's racket as a double agent. The false "betrayal" caused Boroshlav to fall into a deep depression as he worked his case against Montresor. The situation was further aggravated by a past love triangle between Boroshlav, Chanson, and colleague Zoltán Esterházy. The resulting fallout caused Zoltán to leave the agency. Montresor was finally arrested by Boroshlav after Chanson's true mission was revealed, but the revelation sowed distrust between the two agents and their superiors from that moment forward. Nevertheless, Chanson and Boroshlav continued to work for ICOSA in the capture of Alfred Kensington. Chanson's subsequent kidnapping prompted Zoltán to return from his self-imposed exile. After escaping from Kensington's henchmen and foiling key aspects of Kensington's master plan, Chanson successfully rehabilitated Boroshlav and Zoltán's friendship. Tensions between Boroshlav and Chanson flared once more after Boroshlav failed to prevent Zoltán's death at the hands of Kensington's men. Chanson, guilt-ridden from prompting Zoltán's return and demise, was unable to reconcile with Boroshlav after the success of the mission. She resigned from the agency and disappeared shortly thereafter. Jean Montresor Formally ICOSA's Public Enemy No. 1, Montresor was finally defeated by Viktor Boroshlav and Emmanuelle Chanson in The Elixir of Doom. ''Montresor survived the near-death encounter with Boroshlav and was imprisoned for years before being released on the condition of exile. Montresor came into the spotlight once more after numerous unsolved murders were attributed to him. He was cautiously exonerated by Boroshlav after agreeing to find the real perpetrator: Alfred Kensington, a vengeful university classmate. Seemingly rehabilitated, Montresor devoted himself to capturing or killing Kensington on ICOSA's behalf - this was in no small part due to the long running vendetta between the former colleagues. After Kensington was defeated in ''The Root of Evil, ''Montresor was granted a full pardon by ICOSA and continued to work with his erstwhile rivals. '''Zoltán Esterházy' Zoltán Esterházy, known among his associates simply as Zoltán after he dropped his surname, was a Hungarian ICOSA agent and longtime confidante of Viktor Boroshlav. Sometime before the events of The Elixir of Doom ''and ''The Root of Evil, ''a love triangle between Boroshlav, Chanson, and Zoltán caused the latter to go AWOL and desert the agency. After Alfred Kensington kidnapped Chanson in an attempt to lure ICOSA into a confrontation, Zoltán returned to assist Boroshlav. The uneasy alliance eventually precipitated into reconciliation over a few drinks and reminisces, but was cut short after Kensington ordered an attack on the bar. Faced against an overwhelming number of assailants, Zoltán chose to sacrifice himself to buy time for Boroshlav's escape. He was finally killed by a reluctant Vincenzo Scarpelli of the Thompson Clique, prompting the Clique's eventual betrayal of Kensington as well as a schism between Boroshlav and Chanson. Kensington Syndicate Individuals in league with Dr. Alfred Kensington's terrorist organization. '''Alfred Kensington' Formerly a fellow college classmate of Jean Montresor. Kensington first clashed with his younger colleague when they competed to win the favor of a secret criminal fraternity dedicated to the domination of Europe's black market. Montresor eventually triumphed and embarked upon a successful criminal career founded upon the distribution of illegal narcotics and chemicals, leading to Kensington's humiliation and bitter renouncement of the society. Kensington spent the years establishing a seemingly legitimate business structure centered around the distribution of ginseng, a popular tonic in Europe. He set to work on plotting Montresor's downfall and his own subsequent rise as his industry brought in funds. As an entrepreneur of modest success, he ironically gained some prominence as one of ICOSA's more reliable financial supporters in their war against the Montresor Cartel. Even after the Cartel was destroyed and its leader incarcerated, Kensington still found himself without the support of other minor criminal organizations that he sought to rally under his control after Montresor's defeat. Increasingly frustrated by his lack of respect and recognition, Kensington decided to pursue an alternative approach. He had earlier used his scientific background to develop a cure for the Spanish flu, which ravaged Europe earlier in 1918. Having modified this influenza cure (a cure overlooked by his colleagues at the time of the pandemic), Kensington planned to secretly introduce a new flu-like infection by distributing irradiated ginseng among the populace through a phony apothecary distributer distinct from his own. He would emerge to present his own lifesaving cure just as panic threatened to overtake the continent, earning the respect and admiration of Europe. Kensington allied with the Thompson Clique, an American gang overseeing the import of Kensington's irradiated ginseng. ... Katerina Katzenhaft Kensington's mistress and primary partner in the Syndicate. She was tasked with interrogating her longtime ICOSA nemesis, Chanson, to obtain information on Boroshlav and Zoltan's operations against the ginseng plot. Emile De Grave Felix Nuskinheimer Giuseppe Torrio ''' The proprietor of Boroshlav and Zoltán's old haunt, Torrio's Bar. He sells out to the Kensington Syndicate and betrays the two agents, leading to Zoltán's death after a prolonged gun battle in his restaurant. Passaro Outfit Mobsters of a formidable American gang dealing primarily in foreign export. Its members are colloquially known as "Trench Sweepers", a moniker drawn from their weapon of choice (the Thompson submachine gun). '''Frank "Frankie" O'Malley Vincenzo "Vinny" Scarpelli James "Jimmy" McGurn Unaffiliated parties Jean-Claude Montresor Dr. Philip Loong Category:Characters